Can the Western Bulldogs Repair their 2020 Season?

The best time for the Western Bulldogs to have become seriously concerned about their progress was during their appalling 2017 premiership encore. 

The next best time is right now. 

Sure the Dogs made the Finals last season, however their stay was nasty, brutish and short.

In 2019, the Bulldog’s offerings, like most of their post-2016 output, was not particularly inspiring, nor rarely reached great heights.

They got a wriggle on late in the season, reeled off 7 wins in 9 matches and narrowly avoided becoming the first club in more than 40 years to miss 3 straight Septembers following a flag. 

Once there however they were positively walloped by the Giants, reminded in no uncertain terms of just how far off genuine contention they really were.

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Unfortunately for the Dogs, the early rounds of the 2020 season have been a seamless continuation of much of 2019, pummelled in both their matches, with the club now sitting dead last on the ladder with a percentage of 47.7.

Indeed, the Bulldogs have lost their last 3 matches by a combined 149 points, won just 2 of their last 12 quarters and seem, so far, like the least prepared, least willing team in the entire league. 

For the Dogs, there’s hardly a facet of the game they aren’t performing dreadfully in at the moment. 

Defensively, they’re conceding a goal for every 3 forward 50 entires, with opponents scoring at will against flailing-arm defenders often way out of their depth.

In midfield, they’re getting outmuscled each week, with their hopelessly out-matched young ruckman Tim English struggling mightily at the moment.  

At present, the Dog’s are sporting a -33 hit-out differential, which is easily the league’s worst mark. The continual denial of first use has resulted in the Dogs generating just 50 clearanceson the season, once again the league’s worst figure, and a strong reason as to why the defence has been stretched so thin. 

Up forward, they’ve cobbled together just 83-points, not helped by a minuscule 61 inside-50 entrieswhich is 13 less than the next worst team in the league.

It’s thus fair to say absolutely nothing is going right for the club these days, and arguably hasn’t for some time, notwithstanding the continual brilliance of Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Maccrae and Josh Dunkley, the development and readiness of Bailey Smith, as well as the tantalising promise of Aaron Naughton. 

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The harsh reality is that the Dogs appear a much scarier prospect on paper, and one not overly assisted by coach Luke Beveridge, an albeit brilliant coach, however one more caught up in the avant-garde these days, seemingly allergic to anything even remotely conventional.

So how can the Dogs save what already looks like a sinking 2020 ship? 

For starters, something must happen with the ruck situation. 

Tim English is a young, highly talented footballer with an incredibly bright future. It’s also fair to say he’s getting pulverised by more seasoned opponents at the moment which is having a clear, demoralising knock-on effect for the rest of the team. He needs to be deployed elsewhere on the field or requires a spell on the sidelines. 

From a selection perspective, Beveridge and the Bulldogs could benefit greatly by being a little less obtuse. 

The team he sent out against the Saints on Sunday contained just 5 members of their 2016 premiership team, with the coach continuing to get caught in an endlessly frustrating, rather strange tango dance with his squad.

The decision to drop Zaine Cordy was confounding. The idea of persisting with Ryan Gardner in the same position even more so.

Up forward, Billy Gowers was brought in to add, well no one's really quite sure. Against the Saints he had just 6 touches and ended up giving away more free kicks and 50 metre penalties (2) than he added points to the scoreboard (0). 

A frustration among those who care or analyse the Bulldogs is that there's undeniably loads of talent on the list. 

It’s a a chief reason as to why there was so much pre-season buzz about their 2020 chances, and why the bookies installed them as a top-5 premiership prospect. According to the updated Stats Insider Futures model, they’re now an 82.7% chance of missing Finals entirely, while their premiership chance has sunk to a ghastly 1.4%. 

While the season is young, the Dogs really need to get a hurry on or risk spiralling into oblivion. 

Their chance comes against the GWS Giants this Friday night in the type of prime-time spot the club has long craved, and clamoured for. 

Perhaps the Bulldogs can show the footy world that their brand remains an intoxicating, relevant one and that Finals are still realistic, while better exposed television spots remain on the agenda. 

Alternatively, another poor showing, the likes of which the Dogs have served up in 3 straight matches, and their Finals prospects will sink further. In addition, an always suspicious league HQ won't have to worry about finding the club optimal exposure slots. 

It’s only round 3, but the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Western Bulldogs this week.

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